I’ve criticized the Avenues no smoking policy before since although they made a big event out of it the ban was never properly enforced among other things. But truth be told, there really isn’t much Avenues can do about it. This weekend I noticed they removed the majority of their garbage bins from around the mall which I am guessing is a move to try and stop people from smoking. It’s not working and I think it’s a dumb move since I had to walk halfway across the mall with my trash looking for a place to throw it… but hey, at least they’re trying and I respect them for that.
Why don’t we have an official law banning smoking in public places? At least if there was an official ban then Avenues could have a couple of policemen walking around the mall ticketing people who break the law. Is there an organization or politician fighting for a smoking ban? How can we help?
70 replies on “No Smoking Please”
How many official law we have in Kuwait?
how many people follow these laws/rules?
the smoking is banned in the goverment buldings but no one care .. i got my asthma back (i was cured 14 years ago) from the smokers in work and i quit that place for good . it was like a big cloud inside the room .
Uk now want to ban somking in the streets !
eh 3ashan 3ami elsher6i yekhaalif ely ga3ed yedakhen woho eb nafsa eb7alja zegara.. o laah 3ala janb ba3ad
We have the law already… but if you think that policemen will do something to support this law? you wrong.. because the policemen in Kuwait smokes more that other people in Non-Smoking area under the name of Law.. “Keep in Mind that Policemen has the right to break the Law under the name of Law” so it’s a HOPELESS Case in Kuwait.
+1000000000000000
Very true.. few days back i saw a traffic cop smoking and driving… and once i saw a traffic cop on 5th ring smoking while monitoring(:P) the traffic..
that explains why people started ashing on the floors in various places.
And that also explains why people started throwing ussed tissue and cup on the plant area.
Bottom line: You can’t fight zballa with zballa!
+1
i think instead of removing the bins they should educate the peoples.
Why not have smoking lounges cool modern ones in designated areas !!!
Maybe everyone would be happy.
Not the I like it when people smoke in the avenues and ash on the floor.
“there really isn’t much Avenues can do about it”..oh comon, don’t make excuses for them. The least the can do is instruct the security guards to ask them to stop smoking (warning), if they continue, they should be escorted out of the mall. The first, second, third time that happens will create a fuss and a shock among people, but they’ll soon learn and accept it.
The security guards (since they are not Kuwaitis) will just get beaten up.
I Agree…Whos gona listn to those poor guys..
i was at the avenues yesterday, no wonder there were cig buds on the floor all around. also, i was in salmiya sultan a few days ago and a guy was smoking..which really shocked me (i live abroad now where it’s illegal to smoke anywhere indoors so this incident really bothered me) and some lady complained and the management came and took his cig away, thank god! so i guess if ppl implement it well then it could be enforced…ppl need to be forced!
Ugh smoking in sultan center is a new trend. I go up to them and tell them to stop it, its a ‘food’ area not a playground!
Sadly, we have a culture of lack of enforcement, whether it comes to enforcing seat-belts, driving and talking on the phone, or smoking in public/government areas. Everything seems to be “okay” here. For God’s sake Malls and Airports in Saudi Arabia have banned smoking.
I flew into Riyadh last Sunday, and noticed three Kuwaiti guys who were on the plane with me light-up cigarettes upon stepping out of the gate, only to be quickly approached by two officers who told them to put out cigarettes immediately, you should have seen the expressions on their faces.
Of course Kuwaitis only obey the laws of other countries, but not Kuwait’s laws
Minimizing the number of trash cans isn’t the smartest move, people will without thinking twice put their cigarettes on the floor. And smoking is banned in alo of places take the airport for example but no one respects the law all laws because it goes unpunished !
When Shake Shack opens you’ll forget about the cigs.
Yupppp….
I don’t know about you guys but I was at the Avenues about a month ago with a couple friends. We entered the mall, they lit up their cigarettes and literally 5 seconds later a Kuwaiti guy with a tag (He works at the Avenues) came up to us and told them to either leave the mall or put them out. Needless to say I had a big ass smile on my face 😀
Thats one of the issues…only a kuwaiti guy will come up..bt t b frank,,i am a regualr at the food court fr lunch..And I;ve seen the regualr security guys ask the smokin guns to stubb the butt,and they have been listnd to..I m sure there are other rawdy characters who have a superiority complx and will nt obey..bt removing the bins,..not a good idea..
Well, they need to enforce the rule by actually fining people for smoking. That’s the only way to do it. They need to put that fine warning for smoking all over the place so people will have no excuse. I’m guessing no one would want to pay money just to smoke at a mall.
well one big step is to instruct all the cafes and restaurants to ban smoking in their areas and remove all the ashtrays
Apparently there is a law voted in 1995 or sth, but no one executed it it seems.
ere ppl smoke inside the hospitals …. soo
shopping malls y wont they !!!!! NO USE This is
Q8
There are many non-criminal laws that are never enforced in Kuwait; like the anti-smoking, handicapped parking, and the anti-trashing laws.
It would be much better to have civilians, like meter-maids in the States, who have the authority to give out violation tickets; but who, at the same time, are not police officers. That way, you still could have all of the officers on criminal-fighting duties…. And still get people fined for disturbing offenses like smoking, illegal parking and trashing.
If this plan isn’t feasible… There’s always the option of placing a couple of official police officers in duty, at every mall during weekends. Their job would be to fine people, arrest them for a humiliating couple of hours, and scare the shit out of youngsters for flirting or fighting.
But sadly, I’m sure that the M.O. Interior has already thought of these solutions.
Just observe what happens at Beirut International Airport these days… smoking gets you ticket for approx $140 and a court order…
they are taking this very seriously these days..
i wouldn’t believe that even if i saw it with my own eyes!
r u serious, policemen ticketing smokers !!!
leave smokers alone mark, wanna cig?? 😛
who cares? there are a million more important issues to deal with in Kuwait. I guess most people are just complaining about this bc they don’t have the guts to address the real problems lol.
This is actually one of the important problems in Kuwait. It’s increasing heart diseases and lung cancer to them and people around. Which leads to increased health care costs and increases the rate of asthma for both smokers and people that don’t want to smoke.
If we keep avoiding problems because there are more important problems then nothing will be done. Kuwait has enough resources to deal with multiple problems at any one time.
unless we don’t get crazy about banning things, we already got a lot of things banned in this country. what’s next ? no smoking sections in restaurants ? f that !
@K ok lets ban sugar and fat too, that will help the health care budget.
i know you didn’t just compare sugar & fat to second hand smoke!! that’s probably the most moronic thing i’ve read today
ban smoking in ALL public places … i’m sure you can go cough up a lung in the privacy of your own home just fine
TBH your blog was the most moronic thing I ‘saw’ today. you are so obsessed with food, lardo.
whats wrong with you people ! ban this ban that ban ban ban ban.I say control, don’t ban.
and ur obsessed with sucking on fags .. CONGRATS to you 😉
I was an ex-smoker, I can relate to this. my point is, you have to come to the mentality of smokers so you could control the situation.especially in a place where people don’t respect laws so much. smoking is an addiction, it’s not a habit. you really have to study the case with relation to the culture and come to a workable solution, and not just imitate other laws in other countries. just saying.
These same people board airplanes that forbid smoking and they don’t smoke because it is enforced. Same with the Avenues etc, if you enforce it, people will follow the rules. Dubai has strict laws with smoking and it is a GCC nation with a more efficient government.
And? People already know smokers are addicts. Nobody is asking them to quit, we’re asking them to keep it to themselves. The mentality of the smokers here, it seems, is “I should have the right to pollute the air you breathe because I don’t have the decency to smoke where others won’t be affected.”
Hello…..It goes back to same old source. The government. Until the government addresses these issues with enforced laws, no one will follow any laws.
Teaching people to be considerate of others is not a minor issue.
It’s representative of the other problems in Kuwait IE: nobody follows the laws
the police doling out tickets won’t work … their the worst offenders of EVERY law in Kuwait.
What they really need is some old granny out there grabbing these punks by the ear every time she catches them lighting up … then they might start listening
*they’re
Law #15/1995 banned smoking in public places. Many years ahead of its time, compared to most developed countries. But not enforced.
Smokers caught should be forced to stand on a stage in front of everyone and be asked to smoke… from their other end.
If Avenues management wants to, they can really stop people from smoking. I really doubt they want to enforce it since other malls will still allow it, and hence risk loosing some traffic.
Starbucks owners’ are the same as avenues and Avenues Starbucks puts out ashtrays on tables!
So do you really think they want to strictly enforce it?
OK, there needs to be a government initiative that stipulates non-smoking areas. I was taken a back this week-end when I saw an American guy at Avenues smoking a cigarette like he was a big shot. He knows better. But it is not enforced, that is the key here. Until you enforce laws they will never be followed. You must be so many meters from the door at Emirates Mall before you can smoke. You can not smoke in Dubai airport unless it is a smoking zone. Look at Kuwait Airport – they might as well put a big ashtray in the center of it. It is not civilized to promote smoking these days, Kuwait!
I tweeted you when I was there on the weekend sitting on Starbucks, and all the tables has an ash trays, and most of the restaurants has ash trays too, so do they removed the trash pins for a while, so people started to throw their cigarette ashes on the ground.
now people start to get back to smoking again everywhere.
And frankly speaking .. The poor security guys cannot go and ask anyone to stop smoking.
its a big issue and cant be solved by the security guys,
it should be managed well.
It has to be addressed by the government. Demand government perform!
bhenchod,madarchod,leave the smokers alone….
who cares , there are many importnat stuff in kuwait to care about!
i personally quit smoking 2 months ago…but even when i DID smoke i NEVER smoked while walking…it looks vulgar with zero class not to mention its very inconsiderate…now i keep on entering “stare down” contests with ppl who walk around blowing smoke in ppls faces HOPING they’d realize how rude theyre being….havent had much success so far (but i have had SOME success)..
being rude is one thing, but what i COMPLETELY cant fathom is ppl who walk around with their children in one hand, and a cancer stick in the other…wow…really?? how responsible of u
When we go to Dubai mall does any one of us dare to smoke?
I saw there an Asian security guy asked few saudis not to smoke and in English…
Guess what? They listened! We judge before even trying. We don’t need cops in the mall… The regular security will do…
I personally say ( waaa3 ge6eee3ah ) when a guy smokes next to me… A lot walk away … Some just too stupid.
@um abdullah – you are way off the mark here. In Dubai people respect the police and respect the society. In Kuwait, people do not respect the police and it is a VERY racist society where these poor security guards will get beat up if they dare say anything to a Kuwaiti – that is fact. So these security guards fear them, they won’t stand up against them. What country are you living in?
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
i.e. who is watching the watchers, when the very people chosen to enforce such laws in malls etc are themselves smoking.
plus, there are certain people whom u cannot tell to “please refrain from smoking”, much like you cannot tell old ladies with full shopping carts that they cannot use the express lane.
I’m a smoker… and u guys are hurting my feelings…
c’mon.. whats the fun of smoking if we can’t blow the smoke on that innocent kids face whose running around the mall? what’s the fun of it if we cant blow it on cute chics face walking around in the mall? what’s the fun of it if we cant kill others along with us? lol..
seriously.. ban smoking in public areas already. the Malls, the streets, bus stops etc etc..
I’m a smooker.. i know that not smoking in a mall would not do me much of a diffrence.. no one is so addicted that they cant control it for a good 30-60mins..
Arrest those people who smoke please ! i hate these people cancel their visa ! cancel their driving licence !
I dont like these people who smoke ! Ban cigarettes !
I make sure that if Im walking behind someone, and they’re smoking, to make a huge huff and puff about it, cough as though Im choking and overtake them, then turn around and give them the “Im disgusted in you look”
And if they’re standing in a public place smoking, Ill catch their eye and give them the “yuk” look.
If everyone starts doing it, Im sure they’ll start to feel ashamed and cut back on smoking in public places, just make them feel like they’re lepers =)
I have a formative suggestion. Why don’t you get a group together and approach Avenues management or Al Shaya, who owns the mall, and speak to him about this matter. Start with the Avenues and maybe it will catch on. To wait on this government is like waiting for a train. There is no train in Kuwait. I think the youth should be more involved in this nation since the government has failed them so far.
that’s because racism isn’t tolerated here.
Absolutely Mark, thak you.
It’s such a shame that many people (not just Kuwaitis) are so ignorant to rules and laws in Kuwait. I was brought up to respect not just elders but everybody, regardless of race, gender, social status, etc. Unfortunately many groups of people in Kuwait feel that these three areas dicate the law they can follow.
These policemen/women should be Avenue’s policemen, not Kuwaiti policemen, although I think there should be policemen in all malls in Kuwait due to the high crime rate. They would be uniformed policemen/women who handle smoking, inappropriate behavior such as gang violence, theft. When it is criminal activity then the Kuwait police will get involved. They must all be non-smokers that take these positions. Please do not get confused, I am not talking about ‘moral police’ like in Saudi Arabia.
maa ki chut, lavdu saale, chutiya leave the smokers madarchods and bhenchods
Example:An unidentified Member of Parliament reportedly behaved very rudely and verbally abused the reception employees at the Farwaniya Hospital just because they reminded the parliamentarian that it was ‘Prohibited’ to smoke inside the hospital premises in compliance with a ministerial decision, reports Al-Shahed daily. > This happened when the MP was visiting his sick son. The MP was politely asked to put off his cigarette when some patients complained about smoke. The MP allegedly took it as an insult.The MP then allegedly threatened to grill the health minister. But he later obliged and went outside the hospital to complete his smoking.
Oddly enough, I enjoy the smell of cigarette smoke and of men in leather jackets smoking them in speakeasys and pubs. I have always been intriguued by a strange Japanese law banning smoking outdoors while making it okay to smoke indoors.
Also, people would do well to start carrying portable ash-trays when out cruising the Avenues.
I hope more malls in Q8 would jump on to the anti smoking bandwagon – Avenues today, 360, Salhiya, Arraya, Marina World, Souk Sharq and Fanar tomorrow.
whatever happens, there can be nothing worse than to have designated smoking areas a la the Auschwitz gas chambers which we have at KWI international. Besides, there’s also this to consider: would it be okay for a Reem to share a lite with a Mark in Kuwait? I think not.
Think of all the extra expense to be incurred putting up smoking zones for him and for her.
We have official law that bans smoking in public places, it was requested by the late Emir Sheikh Jaber RIP and was approved by the council of ministers. The no smoking law is there however not enforced. But you can ask someone to stop smoking and you can complain and he should be fined under the power of law. If the law enforcement officer refuses to fine the smoking person he aswell will be in trouble.
I personally do not tolerate smoking in public places, especially in cafes at malls. I was at the Avenues couple of weeks back in starbucks and a lebanese guy next to me was smoking. I asked him at first to put off his cigarette because I don’t appreciate the smell. His response was a smoking section of Starbucks (heck, is there a starbucks in the world that allows smoking in its venue?!) anyway, my response to him was that smoking is not allowed in the avenues… he didn’t care… so i informed him about the aforementioned smoking law and he immediately put off his cigarette. I would not even hesitate to call the mall security or even the police officers stationed at the mall.
and by the way, i’ll be receiving my judicial training at the EPA pretty soon and I’ll have the power to issue fines for those who violate environmental standards… and there are sections that cover inclosed areas which allow me to issue fines to those who smoke.. 😀
@3azeez, Well, bring a big pad of sitations to the Avenues. I went there today and I was gagging from all the cigarette smoke. There were ashtrays a Starbucks and people smoking openingly, and the ashtrays were overloaded with cigarettes. It is a smoker’s haven here and I ran out of the that mall quickly, I just couldn’t take the smoke.
Don’t be a RACIST, be like a Panda. They’re Black, White, and Asian ..